


I Come With Knives

by rravii



Category: VIXX
Genre: M/M, gangster/mafia!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2015-12-18
Packaged: 2018-05-07 02:53:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5440808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rravii/pseuds/rravii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt fill: "You can't protect me."</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Come With Knives

“Are you certain that’s the location?”

“Well, yeah, I did what you told me and that’s what it says.”

Wonshik lets out a sigh, the knuckles on his hand resting on the steering wheel turning white as he holds it tighter in frustration. 

The location that little brat, Sanghyuk, who Taekwoon insisted on taking under his - _their_ \- wing, despite him being just some little high schooler who thinks he’s all that because of some meaningless fighting ranking system they’ve got going on. He doesn’t do much except scrape them little cash (which they don’t really need) and make Wonshik’s life that much harder with his attitude.

He really respects Taekwoon though, following his every word like it's the law. He doesn't listen much to Wonshik, but he's just going to have to swallow that bitter pill. He's not about to go running to Taekwoon, crying about how Sanghyuk couldn't care less if he was dead or not.

The rain is hitting the car loudly and Wonshik uses the turn signal, a habit more than anything, since there are a lot less cars around at two in the morning and none near Wonshik, and changes directions, heading towards the place Sanghyuk had instructed him to go. 

“Alright. Stay indoors if you know what’s best for you - I’ve had to deal with enough shit today, if you get your ass in trouble too I’m not coming for you.” 

“Whatever.” Sanghyuk replies and then hangs up on him, not bothering to even bid him goodbye. 

“Fuckin’ brat.” Wonshik mumbles under his breath and places his phone in the cup holder, getting more irritated. 

Both Taekwoon and Wonshik had meetings that night. Wonshik’s had been intense since it was a meeting that would either end in a good deal or blood bath - one which he had been prepared for. Thankfully, things went over smoothly, and he’d been eager to tell Taekwoon about the result.

Taekwoon’s contact had been a lot more shady than Wonshik's, but he’d insisted on going there alone. 

_‘You can’t protect me.’_

The words are still ringing in Wonshik’s head. They never really argue much, due to Taekwoon’s quiet and firm nature - what he says usually goes. Wonshik knows better than to argue with the stubborn man, but this time, he’d retorted, telling him going alone to that deal was dumb. 

He might have hurt Taekwoon’s pride with it, which is why he’d dropped the words on him so coldly and with enough finality that Wonshik didn’t try to argue further. 

Taekwoon claims he’s not capable of protecting him, but now, Wonshik is speeding towards the warehouse he’s apparently being help up in, intent on doing just that. 

He doesn’t have a lot of weaponry on him, and if the circumstances had been different, he would have stopped by their home and grabbed various objects he needed, but he had to hurry. There’s usually a gun in their glove box but it’s not there now, just a hunting knife, which is all Wonshik has in addition to the machete on his back, hidden from view, which he'd taken with him to the meeting just in case. 

It’s going to be a tough fight, but Wonshik has enough fire fueling him he’s going to be able to pull through.

He doesn’t let himself think otherwise. He doesn’t let himself consider the possibility that Taekwoon is right - that he can’t protect him. 

For years upon years, he's practiced his fighting skills, honing his ability to win. There's a reason why the two of them rose so high in the underworld. Taekwoon's biggest advantage is his piercing cold eyes and his capability of persuading people. Wonshik's biggest advantage is his fighting skills and his capability of going on even when the situation darkens.

Once he reaches the warehouse, he can see that there are some lights turned on in there and there’s a guy outside the door, smoking. Rolling down the window just enough so that there's a small slit, Wonshik slows down as he approaches the man.

“Hah, come to save your princess, have you?” The thug says, mockingly. “Too bad, the fun’s just getting started.”

The guy’s a complete moron, Wonshik thinks, and steps on the gas, hard, the car moving quicker than the guy thinks, and crushes him between the car and the wall. The car hits it with a loud noise, the metal no doubt bending to the point where he needs to get it repaired, but that’s an issue for another day. He can replace the damn car, but he can't replace Taekwoon.

Wonshik rolls up the window and reaches over to grab the hunting knife and a spare holster they've got lying around, tying it around his waist, keeping it hidden from view. Stepping out of the car, Wonshik reaches his hand behind himself and pulls out the machete, eyeing the poor thug, who’s still alive - but barely so, and locks the car with the car remote, leaving him there to suffer as he walks inside. He'll bleed out soon, anyway.

The first room he goes into is empty to begin with. He only takes a few steps to the right when he sees a small room, much like a break-room, with three thugs in there. Two of them have their backs turned to him and the third guy is too engrossed in the game of cards they’re playing to notice him, so Wonshik quickly jumps from sight and presses himself up against the wall, listening for anything that might aid him. 

Turns out they’re too absorbed in the game so Wonshik gets bored. He reaches over and closes the door, which opens from the inside and out towards Wonshik, and hurries to roll a barrel, heavy with some kind of liquid, towards the front of the door, blocking their exit. As Wonshik continues on forwards, he hears the men banging against the door. 

There’s another break-room not too far from that one, which was blocked from his sight by a few stacked containers, and the men in there, only two, notice Wonshik right away. One of them charges at him instantly, wielding nothing but a bat, and Wonshik makes use of his long legs, kicking the guy in the stomach before he can get a swing in, causing him to tumble harshly to the ground. The second man also has a bat, but he seems more composed than the other guy. 

He circles around Wonshik for a bit, trying to get in a swing, and then he thinks he sees his opportunity and attempts to hit Wonshik right in the head, but he ducks and shoves his machete right up, going through the man’s stomach. 

Wonshik feels blood hit his face as he pulls the machete out and the now dead man falls to the ground. The second man has gotten up from the ground, but is staring at him with wide eyes, grip on bat not as certain anymore. Screaming, he charges at Wonshik, who dodges with ease and swings the machete into his back, not even looking as his body hits the ground. 

Three more guys pile into the room, one holding a tire iron, the other two wielding katanas. They smirk at him, thinking they’re about to have fun, but Wonshik just looks at them coldly, fury burning within him. 

Of course it was a setup. He should have been there - he should have gone with Taekwoon. 

Who knows what they’ve done to him.

These guys seem to be smarter than the other two, but they won’t be too much of an issue for Wonshik. The first guy is a bit clumsy with his sword, swinging at Wonshik but leaving an opening for him when he dodges, making it easy for Wonshik to pierce his stomach and the guy tumbles down, not to get up again. 

The one with the tire iron is quick, however, and lands a blow on Wonshik’s side, causing him to stumble back. He recovers quickly and when the guy lifts his arm up high, preparing to deliver a particularly hard blow on Wonshik, he kicks him back, shoving his machete into the man’s chest when he’s landed on the ground. 

The third guy tries to take advantage of the situation but Wonshik is too quick to move away from the katana and kicks him in the underside of the knee, causing the guy to stumble, which is the opportunity Wonshik takes to swing at him, creating a large gash from the man’s neck down to his stomach. 

Wonshik’s dripping with sweat now, his limbs starting to get tired, but he must push on. This is likely just the beginning. There’s no one left in this room and he can't hear anyone coming for him, so Wonshik pushes on, heading into what seems to be a hallway. 

Instantly, he can see two doors to his right. He’s only taken two steps ahead when he hears a man, calling out a name he doesn’t recognize and asks if it’s him. Wonshik stays silent, pressing his back to the wall, grip on the machete tight. The man doesn’t take long to peek out of the room, which is when Wonshik strikes, slitting the guy’s throat. The blood goes everywhere, spraying out of him as the man tries to hold it in, but it doesn’t do anything. He falls onto his knees and Wonshik doesn't bother to wait around for him to fall to the ground.

Before entering through the other door, Wonshik takes a moment to look down onto himself. He’s absolutely coated in blood. His face feels sticky and running a hand through his hair confirms it’s sticky with blood as well. 

Today wasn’t a good day to wear a white shirt. He’s going to have to get a new one. 

At least, when this is all over and done with, he can more easily visualize what his silver hair will look like if he dyes it red.

Heading into the other door, Wonshik is greeted with at least eight guys waiting for him, wielding various weapons. He takes a moment to look at them, carefully assessing the situation, but then two of them charge at him and he has to act quickly. 

Right as they’re about to reach him, Wonshik drops to the ground, rolling away from them, and swings his machete, cutting into the thighs of one of the guys, who screams and falls to the ground. A third guy is suddenly there and kicks Wonshik in the head, making him get a little dizzy for a short moment, but he makes out a form of a weapon coming down on him, so he rolls away before the katana drives into his face. 

He stumbles on his feet and instantly lifts his machete, his weapon hitting the katana of another with a loud clank, and the guy’s head is close enough that Wonshik headbutts him, stabbing him in the gut as soon as the guy stumbles backwards. He lifts his leg and pushes his foot against the man's stomach, making it easier to free his weapon.

Turning around, he swings at another guy approaching and misses, but then a kick gets delivered to his hand, causing him to drop his machete. Wonshik doesn’t even have time to curse when he feels cold chains wrap around his neck and then he gets pushed flush against a body behind him, his capability of breathing being cut off. 

At first, he tries to grab at the chains and pull, but it doesn’t do anything. Then, he sees a guy charging at him with a katana, intent on stabbing him and being done with it, so Wonshik uses all his power to push the guy behind him to the left, causing him to take the stab, feeling the chains around his neck becoming loose. 

Coughing, Wonshik removes the chains before the guy falls down and takes him with him, reaching down for his machete, and takes advantage of the guy who’d stabbed his friend by accident, and swings at his throat, creating a deep enough cut that if he’d deliver a second one like that, his head would come off clean. 

There’s only four guys left but Wonshik is starting to wear out, his throat hurting and his head throbbing. But he pushes on, he has to, he’s in this mess now and the only way out is by killing them. Two guys with baseball bats approach him, one swinging at him, making Wonshik duck and shoving his machete into the man’s stomach, swinging it up and out, swinging it over his head and effectively coming down on the other guy, stabbing him in his chest. 

The two guys fall to the ground and all Wonshik is left with it two more. 

One of them charges at him, almost catching Wonshik but he manages to deflect the katana with his machete, but then he feels a stab of pain in his side. He kicks the guy in front of him away and turns to his side, seeing the second guy, his katana wet with blood.

Not taking his eyes off the second guy, he drives his machete into the gut of the first guy, but then has to drop to the ground and roll away from the second as the katana comes at him again, causing dirt to get into his stab wound, but quickly gets up again, stabbing the guy in the back. 

Taking a second to observe his wound, he finds out that it’s not too deep. It must have just grazed against his side. He should be fine without patching it up, but as soon as he can, he needs to disinfect that. 

Carrying on into the third room, he’s met with only about six guys, their boss, and Taekwoon himself. 

They're all standing around in somewhat of a circle, the boss standing a bit to the side, and in the middle of it all, Taekwoon is lying on the ground, getting kicks delivered to him by one of the guys. He seems to be conscious though, a thing Wonshik can't decide if it's good or bad. They're too busy watching the man hurting Taekwoon to notice Wonshik, so he's got a bit of an upper hand. 

Barging in won’t do any good, it will probably just end badly for Taekwoon, but he can’t just call out to them either or wait around for them to notice him, so Wonshik places the machete into its sheath on his back again and returns quietly to the other room, searching for anything he can utilize on the bodies of the thugs. There's various weapons lying here and there, but Wonshik needs something he can throw, so he has to pat the dead bodies in hopes that one of them might have a knife on them somewhere that's suitable enough for throwing. His hunting knife is no good for the task - he needs something smaller. 

Eventually, he finds a knife he can use, and gets up from the ground, walking back into the room as quietly as he can. They still don't know he's there, giving Wonshik a decent advantage. Taekwoon is no longer lying on the ground - another man has him held up by his hair and is talking to him, saying something Wonshik doesn't hear, and ever so often, slaps or hits Taekwoon's face. 

Fury is rising in him, his anger boiling, and even though he can't get a clear shot on the man harming Taekwoon, he can get another one of them, so Wonshik settles on that, throwing the knife and hitting the man square in the back, which causes him to scream out and fall forwards, almost taking another guy with him to the ground.

They all turn to look into the direction to where the knife was thrown from and find Wonshik there, who has to keep himself from shaking in anger. Wonshik looks them over carefully until he turns his eyes upon Taekwoon. His head is still being held up by his hair and he seems exhausted, red bruises starting to form on various places and there's blood leaking out of his nose and mouth, but he still shakes his head just barely so at Wonshik.

Why did he have to fall in love with such a stubborn man. 

The boss sends one guy forward to meet Wonshik by motioning with his hand. Wonshik braces himself, pulling the machete out of the sheath and lifts it slightly, watching the man very carefully as he approaches him. He doesn't remove his eyes from the man, even as the boss starts to talk.

“Nice of you to join us, Wonshik.”

He doesn't know the man, who apparently knows him, but it doesn't matter. He's about to be dead soon.

The man approaching has a katana in his hand and moves slowly, strategically even, and Wonshik has a feeling that these must be his best fighters. He pushes his pain and exhaustion back, because he can’t fail now. Not when he’s gone so far. Not when Taekwoon is right there, incapable of doing anything but watch. 

“I didn’t think it would be this easy to get rid of the both of you. I was afraid I’d have to go towards lengths to lure you to me.” 

The man swings at Wonshik, who’s able to deflect the blow with his machete, but then he feels searing pain in his side as the man kicks the area where he’s wounded, sending Wonshik to the ground. Moving quickly, Wonshik kicks the man’s legs so that he falls and climbs on top of him, straddling him as he shoves the machete down into his chest, blood spurting out of the wound. 

The man seems to be intent on not dying, his hands pushing against Wonshik’s, trying to get the blade out of him, so Wonshik twists it, trying to create enough pain that the man will pass out quickly and eventually bleed to death. Wonshik takes too long, however, because a kick is delivered to his jaw, sending him sailing onto the ground, machete still stuck in the man. 

Wonshik hardly manages to look up when he gets kicked a second time, this time in the shoulder, and a foot comes down on him almost immediately, stomping harshly on him, making contact with his wounded side, making Wonshik scream out in agony. 

The stab wound is throbbing but he has to keep going, despite his body screaming at him to stop. He needs to find a weapon - and fast, if he wants to survive. Glancing around, he spots a steel pipe not too far from himself, something he should be able to reach. He’d been taught at a young age, when he was just starting to dip his feet into this world and so sorely needed to protect himself, that if he can’t fight people at their level, he needs to bring them down to his - a technique he uses frequently.

“I expected more from you.” The boss speaks, disappointment apparent in his voice, but his words are distracting enough that the man standing above him looks away. Wonshik takes that opportunity to grab the steel pipe and hook it behind the man’s feet, sending him to the ground harshly. Finally getting a good look at his face, Wonshik realizes it's the man who'd been holding up Taekwoon's head by his hair. Something gets lit on fire within him and he tosses away the steel pipe, rolling over so that he can grab the machete from the other man, who has now passed out, and aims to stab the other guy while he's still on the ground, intent on delivering a lot of pain to him, but the man is quicker, already getting on his feet.

Using the machete to help stabilize himself, Wonshik stands up as well, legs shaking with either pain or exhaustion, or a mixture of the two. He sees Taekwoon from the corner of his eyes, no longer being held up, but he’s lying motionlessly on the ground, watching Wonshik with something akin to worry in his eyes. 

“I’m not done yet.” Wonshik retorts coldly, causing the boss to grin, watching him carefully. 

As an emphasis to his words, Wonshik quickly dodges the man’s katana and kicks him in the hip, causing him to stumble backwards, but almost immediately grabs his hair, holding him up by it like he'd done to Taekwoon, and tilts it up so his neck is exposed. Using his machete, Wonshik slits his throat, walking slowly forwards with ice cold eyes as the other men gets sprayed in his blood, all of them lifting their hands up to cover their eyes. 

The blood eventually stops spraying so the three remaining men all come at him at the same time. Wonshik drops the body like an used rag, bringing up his machete again, ready to fight them. Just three more and that boss of theirs and then Taekwoon will be free and they will be safe. 

One of the man, wielding a katana, swings at him, which Wonshik deflects, but then the second guy kicks his hand, causing his hand to drop the machete, and before Wonshik can even think of what to do next, he feels something wrap around his neck again - rope, this time. 

It cuts off his air supply immediately, much quicker than the chain had done, and he feels himself being forced to travel backwards, until the man choking him out hits the wall, and Wonshik is pulled flush against him. The rope is being pulled around his neck so tightly, making him desperately trying to gasp for air but none reaches his lungs, and his hands are clawing at the rope, trying to loosen it around his neck, but to no avail. 

His vision is getting dotted and the room is getting darker, his hands losing their strength in clawing at the rope. Taekwoon starts to look blurry and his throat is burning, but he won’t go down so easily. 

He has to live. 

As a last resort, Wonshik reaches down and manages to find his hunting knife, and out of pure instinct, starts ramming it frantically down into the man behind him. He doesn’t know how many times he stabs him, but eventually the rope loosens around his neck, causing Wonshik to instantly pull it from his neck, coughing as air finally reaches his lungs. 

Wonshik tumbles to the ground, his legs giving out from underneath him, landing on all fours, coughing with almost every gasp he takes as an attempt to get more air into his lungs. His throat is burning and his vision is coming to slowly, but he can’t stick around like this. He’s vulnerable, an easy target, and he has to get up and continue fighting. 

Stumbling to his feet, Wonshik takes a few shaky steps forward, panting heavily, blood soaked hunting knife gripped tightly in his hand. The two guys come at him simultaneously but Wonshik stands still, eyeing them carefully. He has to be very precise and swift - he’s so close but he’s so exhausted. His limbs are starting to give out and his body aches so badly, but he can't focus on that. He has to push those thoughts and feelings back, he has to stay strong, he has to do this. 

Both of the men have katanas and one of them swings at him, but Wonshik dodges, almost stumbling backwards as he does, but manages to regain his footing just in time to dodge another attack, this time recovering much faster, and kicks one of the guys in the chest, sending him backwards with an oof. 

Acting fast, he kicks high, hitting the other man’s hand, causing him to lose his grip on his katana, making it fly backwards to somewhere into the boss’ direction, who still stands by Taekwoon. 

While the man is still surprised, Wonshik charges at him, driving the hunting knife into the man’s neck, the blade going in on one side and sticking out on the other. The man gurgles, blood pouring out of his mouth, but before Wonshik can pull the blade out, the second guy charges at him, grabbing around Wonshik’s middle and making the two fall to the ground, the body of the other man falling into the opposite direction, blade still stuck in his throat. 

Wonshik’s head hits the ground harshly and pain explodes in his side as he falls harshly onto his back, the man falling on top of him. He’s still blinking his vision to when he feels a blade being driven into his shoulder. He lets out a hiss and drives his knee up right in between the man's legs, causing him to let out a grunt in pain, giving Wonshik enough opportunity to roll them over so that he's on top. Having the upper hand, Wonshik instantly reaches out to grab the man's hand holding the blade and bashes it against the ground until he can no longer maintain the grip.

Once the blade is no longer an issue, Wonshik grabs it himself and drives it down into the man's open mouth, instantly killing him, watching as the blood seeps out of his mouth and pours down his cheeks, pooling around his head. Pulling the blade from his mouth, he stumbles up from the ground, keeping a firm grip on the blade in his hand, panting as he faces the boss, who has now moved from Taekwoon's side and is heading towards Wonshik. 

"Well done." The man speaks. He's got a short beard, a scar running from his lip and up to his cheek, cutting through it, and cold yet amused eyes. 

Wonshik can't wait to drive the blade through him. 

"You got rid of my men." The man says, bringing his blade up to drive it down, but Wonshik deflects it. He can feel himself getting weaker but he has to pull through, he has to find some excess strength in himself and defeat the man. "It'll be bothersome to have to branch out and get more workers, but I'm sure they'll work hard when I show them your head as a warning what happens when you cross me." 

"Make sure to angle it so you'll show my good side." Wonshik replies, walking slowly backwards as the man's blade comes down on him again, using the katana in his hand to defend himself. The man pulls back and Wonshik decides to take any openings he gets to defeat the man as soon as he can, but the man dodges and kicks him into his side, making Wonshik scream out and fall to the ground. 

"Get up, you pathetic little shit." The man instructs, waiting as Wonshik uses the katana to help himself get up from the ground. "You kill my men yet act like you can barely hold a sword?"

The man swings at him again, but Wonshik dodges and manages to hook his foot behind the man's knees, sending him sailing onto the ground. He seems surprised by it, but moves quickly enough away from Wonshik that his blade misses him when he drives it down. Wonshik has to lean quite heavily on the blade, struggling to pull himself up into an upright position, and as he does so, the man quickly gets up from the ground. His expression has drastically changed, going from mildly amused to a cold, cruel stare. 

"Enough of this bullshit." He mutters under his breath and then charges at Wonshik with a lot more power than before, the game apparently over for him. His blade comes down on Wonshik again and again, who only just so manages to deflect the blows, being forced to walk backwards as he tries to defend himself. But then he slips up, accidentally leaves an opening, leaving his side exposed, and the area suddenly explodes in pain. Wonshik lets out a scream and glances down, letting out a shaky breath at the sight. The blade is shoved into his side rather deep, blood leaking over the blade, dripping down onto the floor, his shirt in that area becoming sticky with blood. 

The man grins and pulls the sword out, making Wonshik twitch and fold over slightly in pain, taking a shaky step backwards. The man reaches his blade up again, preparing to deliver what might very well be the finishing blow, and Wonshik closes his eyes, breathing in deeply, knowing that this is likely his end, but the blow never comes. Opening his eyes, he looks at the man, whose expression has drastically changed. There's a sword sticking out of his chest, piercing him from behind. The sword is quickly pulled out of him and the man falls to the ground, lifeless, revealing Taekwoon standing behind him, blade tightly gripped in his hands. 

Wonshik squeezes forth a smile, breathing brokenly and he tries to push back all the pain and exhaustion to move towards Taekwoon and hold him in his arms, knowing he's safe and that he did in fact protect him. But he can only manage to take a single step forward when his legs give out and he falls to the ground, putting his arms in front of him just in time to hold himself up, but they almost give out too, bending as they make impact with the ground. The shirt has become a lot more wet around the area where he'd been stabbed - the fabric clinging to his skin, making it all the more painful. 

Taekwoon is then there in front of him, on his level, the closest thing to fear in his eyes that Wonshik has seen. "Wonshik?" His name comes out so softly from that angelic voice that Wonshik is incapable of doing anything but smile, letting his eyes flutter shut for a moment. He's tired, so extremely tired, and he wants nothing more but push himself against Taekwoon and fall asleep, but he knows if he does, he probably won't wake up again. 

Regardless of his brain screaming at him to not, he reaches forward and lifts up his heavy arms to come around Taekwoon, pressing his face into his shoulder. "I _can_ protect you." Wonshik speaks against Taekwoon's shoulder, voice coming out in a raspy whisper, muffled against the fabric, this throat sore enough that it hurts to speak. 

Almost immediately Taekwoon pushes Wonshik away from him so that he can take off his jacket. He wraps it around Wonshik's middle, pressing into the wound, making Wonshik's face scrunch up in pain. It hurts a lot but he's going to have to just endure it - it's more important to stop the bleeding if he's going to have a shot at living to see another day. Silently, Taekwoon gets up from the ground and reaches down to help up Wonshik as well, who has to lean on him heavily as he stands up on shaky feet. 

Throwing Wonshik's arm over his shoulder, Taekwoon pulls him to his side, wrapping his arm around his middle so he can keep decent enough pressure on the wound. They take a careful step forward and Wonshik almost falls over again, but Taekwoon manages to keep him up, carefully guiding him forward as they work up a slow rhythm, making it easier for Wonshik to follow. 

They walk out of the room slowly, moving in a zig-zag pattern to bypass the bodies, and they're almost at the door when Wonshik's vision starts getting blurry, and then rapidly darkens. He trips and Taekwoon isn't capable of holding him up this time, causing Wonshik to fall to the ground again, more gently this time due to Taekwoon's attempt at keeping him up. 

When Wonshik comes to again, he feels arms under his armpits, trying to pull him up, and Taekwoon is saying something incoherent to him. Reaching his hands up, he blindly searches for Taekwoon's, which find his quickly, and he's pulled up again, leaning more heavily against Taekwoon than before. 

He's not so sure he's going to make it anymore. 

It's so difficult to walk, his legs are so heavy and next to his feet, blood is dripping onto the ground from his wound. His entire body is in searing pain, it's even starting to become painful to breathe. They only manage two more steps when Wonshik trips again, almost falling to the ground and taking Taekwoon with him, but he manages to pull the two up again before they fall, exhaling out a pained noise. 

"Wonshik, we have to keep moving." Taekwoon tells him, almost pleading, and Wonshik tries, he really does, but the next step he takes has his legs giving out again, Taekwoon only capable of holding them up because he leans their full weight to the side until his back hits the doorway, using the sturdy frame for support. " _Wonshik_ " This time, he's definitely pleading, and Wonshik wants to cry. 

Wonshik has always found it stupid when people sacrifice themselves for a loved one. He doesn't see the point - most of the time these circumstances happen at the hands of a criminal, and being one, Wonshik knows it's just an easy way to kill both of them and get a little entertainment along with it. Of course, people like him could lie and tell them they'd let their loved one go, but why would they need to keep their promise to a dead man? And what's the point of going through torment and sacrificing oneself for someone else if they can't even be together after all that?

It hadn't been Wonshik's plan to ever become one of those dumb people, but he's afraid the plan has changed. 

"We have to go." Taekwoon breathes out. "C'mon Wonsh-"

Taekwoon's words cut off instantly but Wonshik isn't certain why, not until after a few seconds, when he hears voices. He doesn't know what they're saying, but they're coming closer. He doesn't have a chance of seeing them, however, because Taekwoon practically drags him to the side of the door, gently helping him sit down, the wall supporting his back, and then rushes to a dead body, picking up a baseball bat, and goes into the other room, out of Wonshik's sight. 

The voices are close now, the owners probably in the other room with Taekwoon, screaming something he can't make sense of. Wonshik wants to crawl over and help because he knows Taekwoon is injured too, body no doubt weak and exhausted after the beating he received from the now-dead thugs, and who knows what else they did to him, but Wonshik's head becomes heavier, drooping forward as his vision darkens again. He applies what little pressure he can to the wound, hand coming into contact with the blood soaked jacket, his vision getting blurrier and darker at a rapid rate, and then everything fades out.

\--

There's something soft underneath him, Wonshik realizes once he wakes up. Then the pain hits him - it's intense in his side, making him scrunch up his face. His body feels sore all over and his head is throbbing, but at least his eyes don't hurt as he blinks them open, being greeted by the darkness. There's a small light coming from his side, sharp but it's not directed at him, and Wonshik tilts his head a little to be able to see what it is and is greeted by a blurry figure, their face illuminated by the light of the phone in their hands. 

Wonshik blinks rapidly, trying to stay silent despite the pain, not wanting to alert the figure. He's not sure who it is - it could very likely be an enemy. There's a handful of people out there that would keep him alive, just so they could torture him for information. It's then that he remembers Taekwoon, his heart clenching in fear because he knows the other isn't in the room. The last thing he remembers is passing out while an injured Taekwoon had to face several guys by himself. As his vision comes to, he realizes that it's Sanghyuk who is sitting next to him, dully looking at his phone, and he feels himself ease up a little. 

A hard, stinging pain shoots through Wonshik's side suddenly, making him let out a strangled pained noise before he can catch himself, which gets Sanghyuk's attention, the boy looking over at him with that same bored expression. "Oh, you're awake." He dumbly states and Wonshik tries to retort, but his throat explodes in a burning sensation, so he doesn't get anything out except for a weak noise before he cuts himself off in pain. 

"I wouldn't talk if I were you, not that I'm complaining. Your throat is really bruised." 

Wordlessly, Sanghyuk places his phone on the night stand and leaves the room, coming back after a minute with a glass of water and a straw. He breaks open the plastic around the straw and puts it in the glass, holding it near Wonshik, helping him get the straw into his mouth. Wonshik takes one sip, but swallowing the liquid causes a searing pain in his throat, so he grimaces and stops. 

"C'mon, you need to drink a bit more than that." Sanghyuk tells him, tone vaguely teasing, so Wonshik takes two more sips out of spite, but then it becomes too much and he whines, pushing the straw out of his mouth with his tongue and pulls his head away from the glass. Sanghyuk doesn't comment on it, he just puts the glass away and picks up his phone again. 

"Why-" Wonshik begins, but his voice is so raspy it breaks into a hoarse whisper before he's even able to get the entire word out. His neck feels swollen and sore, and attempting to speak is pure agony. He feels the need to talk, however, so he tries again. "Why are you here?" His words are hardly audible, his voice nothing but a hoarse whisper due to the pain. 

"Taekwoon asked me to look after you." Sanghyuk replies and Wonshik immediately perks up upon hearing his name. "He's alrig- well, he's going to be alright, he's just sleeping now. He told me if I'd watch you tonight he'd call me in sick in school again tomorrow." 

He had intended on asking Sanghyuk about Taekwoon, wanting to get him to explain further about his condition, but as the words seep in, he pauses, and changes his course of direction. "Again?" 

"Dude," Sanghyuk starts, amusement seeping into his voice. "You've been out for like, twenty hours. You were pretty much dead when Taekwoon came back with you. We had to call Hongbin and everything." 

A part of Wonshik wants to groan, dissatisfied that Hongbin saw him like this. He's an old friend of Wonshik's - a recently graduated medical student that's clearly going to be a very promising doctor. He's not involved in the underground world, wanting to live normally and live well, but it's been difficult for him to turn down any requests from Wonshik, especially since he will get much needed experience while helping out. He'll probably call him up later just to scold him. 

But another part of him feels a lot more at ease. He can feel the tension slowly leaking out of his body - not having noticed how tensed he was, and flutters his eyes shut. Taekwoon pulled through, with enough strength in him to be able to defeat those guys _and_ pull an unconscious Wonshik back to the car, and drive the entire way back. 

"Get out." Wonshik hears, a familiar voice sounding gently, and he opens his eyes immediately. It's dark, but he can definitely tell that it's Taekwoon who's standing in the doorway. Sanghyuk gets up right away, obeying him like a dog would to it's master, and rushes out of the room wordlessly, phone still in his hand. 

Taekwoon turns on a lamp resting on a desk close to the door, on the opposite side of the bed. The light causes Wonshik to wince so Taekwoon dims it right away until only an orange glow is shining through the room. Upon the room being illuminated a little, Wonshik realizes that it's _his_ room he's in - the one he shares with Taekwoon. The other side of the bed seems to be untouched, so Taekwoon must have stayed in one of their spare rooms this entire time. 

Slowly, Taekwoon approaches him, and Wonshik notices that he's limping a little. He very carefully lowers himself on the bed, making sure not to sit down onto Wonshik, and brings his hand up to his face, gently stroking his cheek. A small smile grazes his lips and then Taekwoon bends, lowering himself down so that he can brush his lips against Wonshik's. The kiss is brief and he pulls himself into a proper sitting position again, but it's more than Wonshik could have wished for in a situation like this. 

"You idiot." Taekwoon says and Wonshik can feel fingers tangling through his locks, stroking his head in a soothing manner. "You shouldn't have done that."

"They-" Wonshik begins, but his voice breaks off. He scrunches his eyes closed in pain and winces, the hand in his hair stuttering. He hears a shushing noise as the fingers start working up a rhythm again. 

"Just rest and focus on getting better."

"I prote-" Wonshik's voice breaks and he swallows thickly, pain burning his throat, but he's determined to continue, "I protected you."

Taekwoon is silent for a moment, looking somewhere to his side before he flickers his eyes back on Wonshik. "Yes, you did. Thank you." He says, almost as if though he's forcing himself to, but it's good enough for Wonshik. "We're safe now. Rest."

Wonshik nods and relaxes his eyes, keeping them shut. He's still very tired and in a considerable amount of pain, and knowing that he won't feel it while he's unconscious is enough for him to want to go right back to sleep. It's an easy task, with Taekwoon running his hand through his hair, and feeling him so near him is very comfortable. 

It gives him an idea, so Wonshik opens his eyes again, looking directly at Taekwoon, and moves his sore hand so his fingers are grazing Taekwoon's thigh. "Lie with me?" He whispers, ignoring the pain it causes him, trying to hold back from wincing. Taekwoon pulls his hand back from his hair and very carefully crawls over him, lying down on the other side of the bed. 

Wonshik knows he can't curl up into him or be held, so he blindly starts seeking out Taekwoon's hand to hold. He's quick to find it, probably because Taekwoon must have noticed, and entangles their fingers, gripping it firmly. Moving so that he's lying on his side, Taekwoon starts to run his fingers through his hair again, and begins humming some song softly, his beautiful voice causing Wonshik to feel so much more at ease, and before he knows it, darkness is surrounding him again, eyes fluttering shut as sleep starts to overtake him. 

Despite the pain, he feels content. 

All is well.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not too sure how I feel about this. I wrote what I wanted but I'm not sure if I managed to write it well enough, but you gotta start somewhere I guess.


End file.
